Becoming an adult causes us to forget so much of what it means to have fun. We forget that messy, loud, and sloppy can be enjoyable. Being launched from a tube on the water can be the adventure of a lifetime. Laughing out loud, louder than the radios playing nearby, can be a joyful pursuit. We forget a lot of things that we should remember.
Sean, I agree that adults tend to forget how to swim. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise because it works the entire body without stress on the joints caused by running on pavement. Despite my disability, I swim 3-4 times a week for about an hour each time. It has helped maintain good heart and lung function. I encourage anyone looking to improve their health to try swimming on a regular basis.
My Daddy was in the Navy in WWII and he insisted that we all learn to float. Floating could save your life. He had to do it when his boat was shot up and went down. He floated for hours.
Is Becca with y’all? I’m ready for a good Becca story! Have fun.
One of the first things they groomed us on in Boot Camp, was the ability of swimming. It was amazing to see the number of guys who had to 1st learn how to float, then swim. But, on a ship, you had best learn how, using your dungarees as a temporary float aid.
Yes, the “Crackerjack” uniform had functions for the sailor. The cap could serve as a floatation device and the long flap collar would give a rescuer something to pull to save the sailor in the water.
My Daddy said they could be court martialed for getting a sunburn. They had to guard against that as it was very easy to get burned on the deck.
The only times we wore Flap tops was for Inspections, coming into port, or going on Liberty. Our Dungaree shirts were just blue shirts with our name, rank and ship name on them.
WOW! He was fortunate, being on a ship loaded with explosive fuel. I believe the Kaiten were the submarine version of the Kamikaze. Can't blame him for staying out of the water after that.
YES!! The radio wars! The donuts and tubing! Sunburns and swearing. I can’t wait as I pack my bag for the lake. PS thank you for your writing. Somebody sent me your Substack while I was preparing for my Camino Norte. I loved it…and it was a balm when four days in of strenuous hiking, I tripped and fell in the BATHROOM and fractured my toes and I headed back home early. Oh well—the Camino has its own way. And what a way it was for me.
I read your post in the morning while I’m standing in my kitchen by my open door, listening to birds outside and watching these two crazy squirrels who live in my tree chase each other endlessly. I drink a cup of coffee and breathe deep and read your column.
I keep a daily journal. Many days I start my journal entry with a quote from your latest post.
It’s always a sentence that stops me cold in my scroll. I read it once, twice, look outside, let it really settle deep.
Today’s is, “all you have to do to enjoy this life is refrain from judging it.”
So simple.
We humans complicate everything.
Thank you for my every morning laugh or cry or life lesson.
While living in Gainesville, Georgia my favorite thing was to take my Dogs to a less accessible shore and let 'em run. Lady, the drop-eared tri-colored long legged bobtail Hound was a great swimmer, and made it her business to check on pods of gulls. Woody, the drop-eared tri-colored short legged bobtail Hound preferred wading in the shallows, stalking schools of little fishes. Her bobtail had a fan shaped fishtail of fur at the tip, and that tail was flipping back and forth constantly, sending arcs of water high in the air. One of her other tricks was running up leaning trees; the first time I saw her 50 feet in the air on a pine trunk, I had to swallow my heart back down out of my throat. She did a pirouette and flat out ran back down.
Became truly glad that dad was a dryland farmer, no irrigation. After having spent a few days & learning to ski with family friends, dad & an uncle (our moms were sisters & our dads were best friends from long before) bought a boat, and we would tent camp the middle of the week several times throughout the Summers, with the cousins also. Close family, as a result.
Eventually, dad & our uncle bought an old trailer house and parked it near the reservoir between times, and we kids still were in the old Army tent, and pup tents. It was always great to spend several non crowded week days during the Summers, after the farming was done. Uncle Danny though, also irrigated, so they weren't always there as often.
I’m remembering doing the ski boat tube figure eight thing as a teenager. I sailed off the tube, flew through the air and hit the water at just the right angle to rip my bathing suit off. Our girlfriends were in the boat. Embarrassing! At 80, no longer embarrassed! What a great memory!
Truth Sean. My passion for the water has been long replaced by the avoidance of getting wet. The blissful ignorance of harmful bacteria and viral threat, replaced by anxiety and paranoia of debilitating infection. The shore protects one from the sticky realities of wet swimming suits and the smell of damped towels. Adulthood obliterates the innocence of childhood, best exampled by the foregoing of water play.
So let’s address country music. There’s a young singer from Knoxville Tennessee that I follow.. she’s a protege of Blake Shelton from The Voice 10 years ago. Her name is Emily Ann Roberts.
Her voice is reminiscent to a young Dolly. Her personality is bigger than Dolly’s. At 26, she calls herself a Yeehaw Mamaw. She and her husband moved to outside of Nashville and between traveling for her music, they have a garden, and he travels with her. He repurposes furniture and is very resourceful. They can green beans and tomatoes and freezes vegetables.
Please look for her on Instagram under Emily Ann Roberts, and his Instagram is Sasser house. I would love to hear responses from you.
To swim or not to swim….one of my most gratifying teaching experiences was to help children (and one adult) learn how to swim. Water on the face or in the eyes was like a 50/50…..half loved it, the other half fought, hit and screamed! Through much coaxing, water games, and a treasure box at the end of the lesson, nothing seemed to work. Finally, goggles and water masks saved the day and changed those fighters to happy swimmers. I was amazed at the transformation…..water-wings were also a great starting place.
Summers are meant for some type of water adventure. The absolute best place to swim, in my opinion, is in a Florida natural spring. I miss the 4th of July family picnics we enjoyed which were always centered around the springs. Every relative showed up from babies to the oldest grandma. I don’t remember radios competing with each other because there were too many good stories being told and much laughter! Water time is time well spent!
Yep, country music will never be the same. Songs like "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know About him," sung by Skeeter Davis is Country music at it's finest. I'm almost 83 years old and listened to music a lot through the years. Songs like Sheb Wooley's song, It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater and other novelty rock songs. Oh, and don't forget Dick Clark's American Bandstand, but now we've left country music, but it sure was a fun time. Not much lake water for me, just a few rounds of skiing.
I'm replying to myself. I should have made myself clear in my first post: These are songs for Radio Wars' opening volley. Songs I would never willingly listen to. I'd like to add Last Kiss to them.
"Last Kiss!" And "Teen Angel!" We (my brother and sister and I) used to sing those in the back seat of the car while on vacation! Mom always got so upset - "Don't you kids know any happy songs?" At which time we'd start in on "The Little Blue Man" and some Chipmunks song!
Becoming an adult causes us to forget so much of what it means to have fun. We forget that messy, loud, and sloppy can be enjoyable. Being launched from a tube on the water can be the adventure of a lifetime. Laughing out loud, louder than the radios playing nearby, can be a joyful pursuit. We forget a lot of things that we should remember.
Sean, go jump in the lake! 😂
Right behind him!!!!
Sean, I agree that adults tend to forget how to swim. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise because it works the entire body without stress on the joints caused by running on pavement. Despite my disability, I swim 3-4 times a week for about an hour each time. It has helped maintain good heart and lung function. I encourage anyone looking to improve their health to try swimming on a regular basis.
My Daddy was in the Navy in WWII and he insisted that we all learn to float. Floating could save your life. He had to do it when his boat was shot up and went down. He floated for hours.
Is Becca with y’all? I’m ready for a good Becca story! Have fun.
One of the first things they groomed us on in Boot Camp, was the ability of swimming. It was amazing to see the number of guys who had to 1st learn how to float, then swim. But, on a ship, you had best learn how, using your dungarees as a temporary float aid.
Yes, the “Crackerjack” uniform had functions for the sailor. The cap could serve as a floatation device and the long flap collar would give a rescuer something to pull to save the sailor in the water.
My Daddy said they could be court martialed for getting a sunburn. They had to guard against that as it was very easy to get burned on the deck.
The only times we wore Flap tops was for Inspections, coming into port, or going on Liberty. Our Dungaree shirts were just blue shirts with our name, rank and ship name on them.
I’m enjoying your stories and learning as well!
You have never felt terror until you have seen words USS (Navy Ship) getting smaller fast, from the surface of the vast ocean.
Great point on learning to float….and should be taught as early as possible!
My father in law was on the Mississinewa that was sunk by a kaiten in WWII.
He also floated in the Pacific until he was rescued.
Getting out of the navy meant getting out of water forever for him.
WOW! He was fortunate, being on a ship loaded with explosive fuel. I believe the Kaiten were the submarine version of the Kamikaze. Can't blame him for staying out of the water after that.
Was your dad on a PT Boat (Motor Torpedo Boats they called them early on)?
YES!! The radio wars! The donuts and tubing! Sunburns and swearing. I can’t wait as I pack my bag for the lake. PS thank you for your writing. Somebody sent me your Substack while I was preparing for my Camino Norte. I loved it…and it was a balm when four days in of strenuous hiking, I tripped and fell in the BATHROOM and fractured my toes and I headed back home early. Oh well—the Camino has its own way. And what a way it was for me.
Enjoy the lake.
I read your post in the morning while I’m standing in my kitchen by my open door, listening to birds outside and watching these two crazy squirrels who live in my tree chase each other endlessly. I drink a cup of coffee and breathe deep and read your column.
I keep a daily journal. Many days I start my journal entry with a quote from your latest post.
It’s always a sentence that stops me cold in my scroll. I read it once, twice, look outside, let it really settle deep.
Today’s is, “all you have to do to enjoy this life is refrain from judging it.”
So simple.
We humans complicate everything.
Thank you for my every morning laugh or cry or life lesson.
I thought that quote was wonderful too. You know how to enjoy the day. Yay you!!!
While living in Gainesville, Georgia my favorite thing was to take my Dogs to a less accessible shore and let 'em run. Lady, the drop-eared tri-colored long legged bobtail Hound was a great swimmer, and made it her business to check on pods of gulls. Woody, the drop-eared tri-colored short legged bobtail Hound preferred wading in the shallows, stalking schools of little fishes. Her bobtail had a fan shaped fishtail of fur at the tip, and that tail was flipping back and forth constantly, sending arcs of water high in the air. One of her other tricks was running up leaning trees; the first time I saw her 50 feet in the air on a pine trunk, I had to swallow my heart back down out of my throat. She did a pirouette and flat out ran back down.
I still miss the Lake.
Ah, remembrances of youth!
Became truly glad that dad was a dryland farmer, no irrigation. After having spent a few days & learning to ski with family friends, dad & an uncle (our moms were sisters & our dads were best friends from long before) bought a boat, and we would tent camp the middle of the week several times throughout the Summers, with the cousins also. Close family, as a result.
Eventually, dad & our uncle bought an old trailer house and parked it near the reservoir between times, and we kids still were in the old Army tent, and pup tents. It was always great to spend several non crowded week days during the Summers, after the farming was done. Uncle Danny though, also irrigated, so they weren't always there as often.
Miss skiing anymore, now since the early 90s.
I’m not too much of an adult.
I think the moral is that if everybody on the lake wore headphones, wars would end.
As a sideline moral, granddads better keep up their swimming skills. ❤️
I’m remembering doing the ski boat tube figure eight thing as a teenager. I sailed off the tube, flew through the air and hit the water at just the right angle to rip my bathing suit off. Our girlfriends were in the boat. Embarrassing! At 80, no longer embarrassed! What a great memory!
Truth Sean. My passion for the water has been long replaced by the avoidance of getting wet. The blissful ignorance of harmful bacteria and viral threat, replaced by anxiety and paranoia of debilitating infection. The shore protects one from the sticky realities of wet swimming suits and the smell of damped towels. Adulthood obliterates the innocence of childhood, best exampled by the foregoing of water play.
So let’s address country music. There’s a young singer from Knoxville Tennessee that I follow.. she’s a protege of Blake Shelton from The Voice 10 years ago. Her name is Emily Ann Roberts.
Her voice is reminiscent to a young Dolly. Her personality is bigger than Dolly’s. At 26, she calls herself a Yeehaw Mamaw. She and her husband moved to outside of Nashville and between traveling for her music, they have a garden, and he travels with her. He repurposes furniture and is very resourceful. They can green beans and tomatoes and freezes vegetables.
Please look for her on Instagram under Emily Ann Roberts, and his Instagram is Sasser house. I would love to hear responses from you.
Emily Roberts came to The Sound Amphitheater in Gautier, MS last year. She was first up for the main artist who I forgot who he was but she was great!
You should be her PR manager….
She’s that good.
I’m almost 66 and can still beat my kids and grandkids swimming in the pool
To swim or not to swim….one of my most gratifying teaching experiences was to help children (and one adult) learn how to swim. Water on the face or in the eyes was like a 50/50…..half loved it, the other half fought, hit and screamed! Through much coaxing, water games, and a treasure box at the end of the lesson, nothing seemed to work. Finally, goggles and water masks saved the day and changed those fighters to happy swimmers. I was amazed at the transformation…..water-wings were also a great starting place.
Summers are meant for some type of water adventure. The absolute best place to swim, in my opinion, is in a Florida natural spring. I miss the 4th of July family picnics we enjoyed which were always centered around the springs. Every relative showed up from babies to the oldest grandma. I don’t remember radios competing with each other because there were too many good stories being told and much laughter! Water time is time well spent!
Yep, country music will never be the same. Songs like "I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know About him," sung by Skeeter Davis is Country music at it's finest. I'm almost 83 years old and listened to music a lot through the years. Songs like Sheb Wooley's song, It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater and other novelty rock songs. Oh, and don't forget Dick Clark's American Bandstand, but now we've left country music, but it sure was a fun time. Not much lake water for me, just a few rounds of skiing.
Radio Wars songs: You Light Up My Life, Love To Love You Baby, anything by Bobby Goldsboro or Gary Puckett
I'm replying to myself. I should have made myself clear in my first post: These are songs for Radio Wars' opening volley. Songs I would never willingly listen to. I'd like to add Last Kiss to them.
I realize these are certainly showing my age!
"Last Kiss!" And "Teen Angel!" We (my brother and sister and I) used to sing those in the back seat of the car while on vacation! Mom always got so upset - "Don't you kids know any happy songs?" At which time we'd start in on "The Little Blue Man" and some Chipmunks song!
❤️💕